The Angels' Share
Cast: Paul Brannigan, John Henshaw, Roger
Allam, Gary Maitland, Jasmin Riggins, Siobhan Reilly, William Ruane
Writer: Paul Laverty
Director: Ken Loach
Running time: 106 mins
Writer: Paul Laverty
Director: Ken Loach
Running time: 106 mins
Ken Loach's ongoing love affair with
Glasgow continues in a tone not dissimilar to Looking For Eric (and again
featuring the ever-reliable John Henshaw), in a comedy/drama of a young guy (an
excellent debut from Paul Brannigan) caught up in the contemporary triangle of
crime, unemployment and pessimism.
Robbie, awaiting the birth of his first child, is sentenced in court to a period of community service, where he encounters a group of ne’er-do-wells supervised by the pleasant and amenable Harry (Henshaw), who just happens to be a huge enthusiast of Scotch whisky. As a recreational break from the group’s daily chores of wall stripping and painting, Harry takes them through to Edinburgh to visit a whisky tasting session and also a distillery in the countryside, where they learn about the maturing process in which some elements of the whisky disappear during evaporation - this having become rather mystically known as “the angels’ share.”
The tale slightly stretches credulity however, with Robbie suddenly emerging as a bona fide whisky connoisseur, resulting in a potential new-found career path and instant maturity as a responsible caring dad. This ambition, however, is sprinkled with inevitable nefarious intent, as Robbie and chums embark on a plan to steal some highly valued and rare Malt which they plan to sell on to an eager buyer.
The film suffers a little in an uneasy shift from highly disturbing street violence to Scottish rural whimsy, with caricature comic turns mixed at times uncomfortably with unfettered aggression - but at its best it’s still a joy to see Loach’s work on screen, as his directorial prowess in developing real credibility from novice actors is peerless.
Robbie, awaiting the birth of his first child, is sentenced in court to a period of community service, where he encounters a group of ne’er-do-wells supervised by the pleasant and amenable Harry (Henshaw), who just happens to be a huge enthusiast of Scotch whisky. As a recreational break from the group’s daily chores of wall stripping and painting, Harry takes them through to Edinburgh to visit a whisky tasting session and also a distillery in the countryside, where they learn about the maturing process in which some elements of the whisky disappear during evaporation - this having become rather mystically known as “the angels’ share.”
The tale slightly stretches credulity however, with Robbie suddenly emerging as a bona fide whisky connoisseur, resulting in a potential new-found career path and instant maturity as a responsible caring dad. This ambition, however, is sprinkled with inevitable nefarious intent, as Robbie and chums embark on a plan to steal some highly valued and rare Malt which they plan to sell on to an eager buyer.
The film suffers a little in an uneasy shift from highly disturbing street violence to Scottish rural whimsy, with caricature comic turns mixed at times uncomfortably with unfettered aggression - but at its best it’s still a joy to see Loach’s work on screen, as his directorial prowess in developing real credibility from novice actors is peerless.
Fast Girls
Cast Lenora Crichlow, Lily James, Noel Clarke,
Rupert Graves, Phil Davis, Bradley James, Lorraine Burroughs, Lashana Lynch,
Dominique Tipper, Hannah Frankson, Tiana Benjamin, Emma Fielding
Director: Regan Hall
Running Time: 91 minutes
Director: Regan Hall
Running Time: 91 minutes
In
Olympic year of 2012, it was almost inevitable something along these lines, predictable
and corny though it is, would have sprinted along to the multiplexes.
“Fast Girls” displays a relentless succession of clichés and clunky plot devices, with the building soundtrack of contrived emotion heralding the inevitable freeze-frame ending you could bet your granny’s eyes on, but nevertheless, it’s a relatively inoffensive romp.
Gifted runner Shania (Crichlow) is a gritty Londoner who lives for the track, and puts her housing estate hassles and obligatory dysfunctional family behind her as she belts along dreaming of ‘The Worlds’ (ie the World Track & Field Championships), encouraged by a would-be training aficionado cum-rundown mini-market shop owner, played by the ever-reliable Phil Davis.
Bodyswerving the laborious narrative details of how she actually gets there – in a flash she suddenly skeedaddles from a public clay track, straight into the British team in the the aforementioned “Worlds”. There she faces some bitchy rivalry irritance from privileged pest Lisa (James), whose daddy (Graves) just happens to be in charge of said UK Team.
Co-written by the estimable Noel Clarke and featuring him as the Coach, “Fast Girls” is nothing more than a piece of fluffy nonsense that will undoubtedly tap into a market where aspirations in this sports year are sky-high amongst teens and twenties. So, while it is enjoyable, the contrivances are hilariously signposted as we race to the foregone conclusion.
“Fast Girls” displays a relentless succession of clichés and clunky plot devices, with the building soundtrack of contrived emotion heralding the inevitable freeze-frame ending you could bet your granny’s eyes on, but nevertheless, it’s a relatively inoffensive romp.
Gifted runner Shania (Crichlow) is a gritty Londoner who lives for the track, and puts her housing estate hassles and obligatory dysfunctional family behind her as she belts along dreaming of ‘The Worlds’ (ie the World Track & Field Championships), encouraged by a would-be training aficionado cum-rundown mini-market shop owner, played by the ever-reliable Phil Davis.
Bodyswerving the laborious narrative details of how she actually gets there – in a flash she suddenly skeedaddles from a public clay track, straight into the British team in the the aforementioned “Worlds”. There she faces some bitchy rivalry irritance from privileged pest Lisa (James), whose daddy (Graves) just happens to be in charge of said UK Team.
Co-written by the estimable Noel Clarke and featuring him as the Coach, “Fast Girls” is nothing more than a piece of fluffy nonsense that will undoubtedly tap into a market where aspirations in this sports year are sky-high amongst teens and twenties. So, while it is enjoyable, the contrivances are hilariously signposted as we race to the foregone conclusion.
